As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner: Teenage Pregnancy - Term Paper Example

As I Lay Dying To a reader seeking to explore a two-dimensional aspect of the novel As I Lay Dying it is nothing beyond a simple affair. William Faulkner presents his audience with a family, which on surface is rather average, however, what is different and interesting to note is that this family is then subjected to a plethora of catastrophes which go beyond a simple test of endurance and familial relationships. The author’s state of mind in understanding his approach towards subjecting the Bundrens’ with such physical hardships predominantly seems to put up for them a test of human perseverance and endurance in the face of difficulty but that, is just the vague exterior of As I Lay Dying, because within emotional suffering of the Bundrens’ lies the existence of profound monologues that do not contradict its vague exterior but provide more meaning to the state of affairs and also add to them, allowing the reader to develop an ability to comprehend the narrative between the lines (Rossky, 1962). As one of Faulkner’s most highly regarded works, the novel has the ability to incite an understanding in the reader’s mind that goes beyond the existence of our lives at face-value; it questions one’s thoughts, ideas, beliefs, values and perception even to the brink of questioning the meaning of existence. Unlike other literary pieces penned down by Faulker, As I Lay Dying is not an abstract or complex plot, which suggests the author’s creation of mind during the writing process. Cited time and time again by literature instructors and students worldwide is the one famous fact associated with the novel which also provides an ample insight into the author’s imagination – the novel took only six weeks to complete and William Faulker did not even change one single word of the manuscript upon completion. The author famously talked about how he felt completely in control of Bundrens’ lives when he penned down every agony that they were to suffer, the novel is one-of-kind in the sense that it is one of those rare, magical and incredible instances when one experiences those rare bouts that mislead person to believe that they are masters of their own destiny, thankfully for Faulkner, this period of intense activity was translated into a prolific and fine literary specimen. Quite straightforward however, and rightfully so, As I Lay Dying is also a journey as much as it is an awakening, the journey that leads to the family’s arrival Jefferson and the burial of Addie Bundren’s body. Analyzing as to why Faulkner preferred to select breaking down his novel into fifty-nine monologues each spoken by one of the fifteen characters of the novel can be best described as an experiment in literary technique, which to put it in modest terms proved to be quite successful. Faulkner never seeks precedence of one theme or genre throughout the novel as he always has something surprising to give, which further cements the idea that the creation of the author’s mind during the process of the development of his work was clear-cut, Faulkner never seems to get lost in the premise that this story is actually the account of the deliverance of a man’s promise to his dying wife. The forty mile journey to Jefferson is a mixture of absurdity, comedy and drama with hints of a grotesque and determined effort to make Addie’s last wish come true. The family’s capricious pursuit is augmented to the nearness of a laborious ordeal with the wide character map that the author has given birth to. More than their desire to focus on the task at hand; which is the sole purpose for the trip to the town of Jefferson, each character has its own whims and yearnings (Faulkner, Random House, 1999). In the dazing context of events, Dewey Dell, the only daughter of the family has a very inconvenient issue at an inopportune time; she is seventeen, unmarried and pregnant. The purpose of this paper is to critically analyze and understand the psychology of the author and the creation of his mind, while understanding how Faulkner sheds light on an issue such as teenage pregnancy in a novel that was published in the 1930’s, an epoch where this subject was still controversial and not as sensationalized as it is now in the 21st century. The paper discusses teenage pregnancy in the context of the novel’s character, Dewey Dell, a young girl who is pregnant out of wedlock and taking a forty-mile trip to Jefferson for ulterior motives veiled behind the burial of her mother in the town. Dewey Dell wishes to take this opportunity to get a pill in town to terminate her pregnancy. Many have delved profoundly to understand how Faulkner designed the character of Dewey Dell and of the many catastrophes that each member of the Bundren family is facing, assigned her, a seventeen year old with that of carrying a child in untraditional circumstances, throughout the novel the reader is able to hear each character’s rendition of his or her situation in first-person narrative, the voices that we hear are audible in the dialect of poor white Mississippi farmers and their families as they go about life in a small county, which is a fictional version of Faulkner’s life in Lafayette County (Ross, 1979). As I Lay Dying, features children and babies in a symbolically somber sense, one’s offspring represent obligation, boundaries and shackles of being brought down by the responsibility of someone that you did not want. Addie, certainly felt so about her children as well, for her they were never a source of fulfillment or a sense of contentment in life but a signal of despair and stagnation. As Dewey’s pregnancy progresses she never takes the fact that she is responsible for a life growing inside of her in a positive way. Her changing appearance is often disapproved by her as she uses spiteful terms to refer to herself as a cow needing to be milked. It should be mentioned that As I Lay Dying is not a narrative that highly regards femininity or uses splendid words to describe the ‘privilege’ of being a woman. For the society of the era which is portrayed in the novel, teenage pregnancy was a very sensitive issue, it was morally and socially repugnant to even think that young females who were expected to reflect purity and chastity would even think or consider indulging in any sexual relations before marriage. Faulker as an author must have felt the need to identify this occurrence in his society otherwise Dewey’s character and the fact that she is considering abortion would not have been brought up. In this context, Faulkner was an audacious narrator who had control over his vision and knew exactly what he wanted to put across even if the topic crossed the line of being simply unmentionable to even forbidden or taboo. Faulkner also discusses the patriarchal mindset and power structure of his society in the novel, as the rocky relationship between Dewey Dell and Darl acts as a representation of this idea. Dewey is adamant that her relationship with Darl is one which cannot be mended for he is aware of her pregnancy and is not at all supportive of it, Dewey’s resentment of Darl goes so far that she even thinks about taking his life, it is quite obvious that her growing fear about his dominance over her is shattering her inner-self and her reactions towards him are just a way of letting herself calm down and to rid herself of the torrid emotions against which she cannot take any action. Dewey is helpless, powerless, naïve and a true representation of the imbalanced power structure of her time that only fed to the certainty and psychological mindset of the men of that era who believed that women are nothing but mere commodities. It is uncertain whether the reader should sympathize with Dewey Dell or resent her choices and selfishness as she hardly mourns the loss of her mother because her pregnancy is a more troubling matter for her, but as the story progresses and she seeks an abortion her persistently failed attempts and sense of helplessness are indeed turning points in the narrative which plead for the reader’s empathy more than sympathy for her situation. It can be said that Faulkner wanted his society to understand the grave discrepancies that woman experienced as it seems that the root of all problems arising in the novel is the patriarch, Anse a manipulative, vindictive and indolent man who is financially incompetent and it is from him, that all the problems of the family stem from, each catastrophe and trouble that the Bundrens encounter can in fact be traced back to his incompetence as a father and as a patriarch who only wishes to ceremonially to take the lead in all family matters rather than practically and pragmatically doing something about them. To analyze critically, Dewey’s situation is not much different than teenage girls of today experiencing the same situation. Yes, there is an increased awareness about such pregnancies, yes, the general public has become more sympathetic and understanding towards such situations but what is important to understand is that empathy plays a greater role in alleviating anyone’s suffering rather than a few words of indifference masquerading as sympathy. Even though, Faulkner could have drawn Dewey’s character in a more optimistic light, he never did so. This suggests that as an author, Faulkner wants the reader to understand that everyone has flaws and inconsistencies, a person’s lack of better judgment in the heat of the moment however, is not reason enough to banish them from family and society to the extent that they are forced to contemplate taking a life and seeking an abortion. Therefore, as a reader Dewey is a character which is relatable because of her genuine flaws and mistakes. She is relatable because she makes the reader realize that even family can turn against a person and the world can stigmatize you completely, it is her feeling of helplessness, solitude, loneliness and perseverance as she desperately hangs on to her last hope, calling out to God because it is only answer left (Faulkner, 1930) is indeed the reason that her character has been crafted in such a complex and multifaceted fashion, making her existence thought provoking and intriguing on many levels. At times, perplexing is the idea whether Dewey has any remorse over what she has done; the answer to this is greatly suggestive of Faulkner’s psyche as it is in his hands to control Dewey’s actions and when she decides that the only answer to end her suffering and her persistent isolation would be to seek an abortion her decision reflects how dysfunctional her family really is, as the character has no one to seek solace in, no one who would empathize with her or no one she could look up to for guidance. It is in the greater scheme of things in which it is observable that As I Lay Dying is more of a philosophical statement about how absurd life can be and how so many times our actions only reflect futility and desperation, the intensity of Faulkner’s compassion toward people has actually been a recurring theme in many of his literary pieces (Tönnies 2006). As I Lay Dying depicts the struggle of an uncertain existence in the paradox of life that has already been taken and a life that is waiting to be taken in the author’s creation of human psyche. Unlike many writers of his generation, Faulkner is not so much concerned with the events of the story in itself but the existence of individual characters and their dilemmas, which portrays the author’s great interest in the intensity of human creation and the author’s expectation of the reader to view his characters not as partakers in a journey but as experiencing beings (Handy, 1959). Throughout the progression of the journey it is evident that Dewey Dell never manages to uphold her independence, and a lack of support system from her family lets many people take advantage of her situation. Even when her encounter with Lafe results in an unwanted pregnancy, Dewey Dell seems unsure about whether her decision was entirely her choice or whether she was lured into it without her complete consent. To make matters worse, the fact that Lafe leaves her with nothing but ten dollars to get an abortion also suggests why Dewey Dell is so suspicious of people. Her trust has been shattered more times than she could handle falling down and getting back up again and to be honest, it is quite unfair to let a seventeen-year-old suffer that way. As the only daughter of the Bundrens’, Addie’s death perhaps has the greatest repercussion for Dewey Dell. Noting that she was there for Addie throughout her illness, caring for her when the men of the family seemed coldly indifferent, it should be highlighted that Dewey Dell is experiencing immaculate grief throughout the novel, but the situation that she’s caught up in does not allow that show of grief to become more apparent. In a narrative where each character hopes to achieve an ulterior motive by taking the trip to Jefferson under the banner of the burial of the mother of their family, Dewey Dell’s situation is the most complex representation of fear, shame, uncertainty and the consequence of having been wronged by so many in the past. What is commendable about Faulkner however is that in the creation of Dewey Dell’s character he has not gotten carried away - for the portrayal of the character’s flaws, insecurities, immaturity, raw emotions and imperfections is what brings her to life. References: Rossky, William. As I Lay Dying: The Insane World. N.p, 1962. Print. “As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner – Reader’s Guide”, Random House, Inc, http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides/as_I_lay_dying.asp, accessed March, 6th, 2013 Ross, Stephen M. "Voice" in Narrative Texts: The Example of As I Lay Dying. Vol. 94, No. 2 (Mar., 1979), pp. 300-310 Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying. New York: Random House, 1964. Print. Tönnies, Swantje. Paradox and the Human Psyche in William Faulkners "As I Lay Dying". Auflage, 2006. Handy, William J. As I Lay Dying: Faulkners Inner Reporter. The Kenyon Review, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Summer, 1959), pp. 437-451 Read More